OKINAWA, Japan Jan. 12, 2010, an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killed more than 200,000 people and left 1 million more homeless and helpless. Schools, hospitals and homes were destroyed, resulting in billions in damage and an entire nation stranded. Three years later, more than half a million people in Port-au-Prince are still living in tents, with running water regaled as a luxury.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the Pacific Region face similar natural disasters.

“The main focus of the exercise is to show that we are capable of effectively getting our troops and equipment deployed as quickly as possible — no later than 48 hours,” said NMCB 3’s embark officer, Ensign Levi Reed. “The embark exercise we performed earlier this year marked one of the highest scoring performances in the naval mobile construction battalions within the last five years. We had no intentions of falling short of a benchmark we ourselves set.”

As around-the-clock operations began the afternoon of Sept. 25, more than 89 Seabees from NMCB 3’s air detachment began packing their bags. These men and women would serve as the deployed engineering force tasked under the MOE to conduct search and rescue, reopen critical communication and supply lines, rebuild government infrastructure and assist in providing basic security, food, water and shelter to the simulated affected population.

The mission mirrors the conditions commonly experienced by Pacific Island countries, many of which serve as allies to U.S. forces. Many of these communities are battered each year by earthquakes, tsunamis and tropical cyclones.

According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative, the Pacific Region is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. These island nations can expect an annual bill of roughly $278 million, in addition to the constant risk of death faced by hundreds of thousands living throughout the region.

“As the commanding officer of the battalion on station ready to provide help to a nation forced to suffer due to a natural disaster, I can only feel proud to represent such an amazing team,” said NMCB 3’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Gordon Meek. “I’ve witnessed the kind of life-saving aid a construction battalion can offer once in Kosovo and once Iraq. It’s never a position you hope to be in, but when you see the misery on the faces of those affected and are able to ease that, there truly isn’t a more gratifying feeling.”

Ensuring the battalion reached its goal of preparing literally tons of equipment and nearly 100 personnel for immediate departure into a mock area pummeled by Mother Nature took a consolidated effort by all NMCB 3 Seabees. Work crews operated for 48 straight hours.

According to Builder Constructionman Alexandria Bowman, who helped load equipment onto pallets, the exercise made her feel both confident and ready.

“It’s an important mission,” said Bowman. “Being able to be a part of team dedicated to helping others feels good. If I were one of those called on to deploy further into the Pacific and help out a country hit by a typhoon or tsunami, I know I could get the job done.”